McKenzie River (OR)

Went to visit my daughter in Eugene recently, and fished for four days on the McKenzie River. If anyone is interested in going to that part of the country, it's worthwhile to spend a few days fishing there.

It's big water, fast, cold, and rockbottomed. I reccommend a wading staff. Through the week I saw very few fishermen; most flyfishers were in driftboats. I took 5mm neoprene waders, and they weren't out of place in that cold water, although the air was warm.

Mayflies were plentiful. Major hatch is in the evening, when I wasn't there. I caught one fish on a PMD, caught lots of others on a 1 #8 olive Wollie Bugger, which looked like a stonefly nymph in the water, I think. Even got a hit on a olive/white clouser minnow.

Slightly less than half the fish I caught were wild trout (rainbows). The stockers have had the adipose fin clipped so you can tell the difference. Most of the fish were 10-12" or so, and very strong.

Good fishing. I reccommend it to anyone who's in that area. It's beautiful country, and the fishin' is good.